Vespiquen hovered over the field, a look in her eyes that demanded unquestioned dominion over all who stood before her, lest she take it by force.
Grimmsnarl panted hard - between being poisoned and taking the brunt of a super-effective Megahorn attack, his battle with Scolipede had taken its toll.
"Grimmsnarl", Marnie called, "you sure you're good to go another round?"
"Snarl!", Grimmsnarl howled, a battlecry of affirmation.
Marnie nodded. "M'kay, stay sharp."
Weston didn't hesitate to make the first move. "Vespiquen, Power Gem!"
The ruby-red gemstone that sat upon the brow of Vespiquen's head began to glow brightly before launching a ray of light towards Grimmsnarl. Grimmsnarl dove out of the path of the beam, narrowly avoiding it as it struck the ground with a thunderous explosion that kicked up a thick cloud of dust.
"That was a close one", Marcus remarked.
"Grimmsnarl's taken a lot of damage", Hop added in a worried tone, "I don't know how many more maneuvers like that he's got in him."
"Power Gem, back to back!", Weston shouted.
"Dodge 'em all, Grimmsnarl", Marnie called.
Vespiquen proceeded to fire a barrage of beams from the gem on her head as Grimmsnarl frantically jumped from side to side in order to avoid the assault.
What's his game now? Marnie thought to herself.
Then she noticed it - the enormous cloud of debris that now enveloped the entire pitch, obstructing her line of sight over the field.
"Now, into the air, Vespiquen!"
Vespiquen took flight high into the sky, hovering well above the debris that clouded the field.
"Not good", Piers remarked.
Marcus and Hop looked at him curiously.
"Those last attacks", Piers continued, "they were used to tire Grimmsnarl out 'n hinder his and Marn's view of the field. Weston's not takin' any more chances with Marn's unpredictable strategies." He gave a concerned look out towards the field. "Whatever he's plannin' to use next, he wants to be completely sure it ain't gonna miss."
Grimmsnarl looked frantically from side to side, trying to get a fix on his opponent.
Vespiquen hovered over the field, her shadow casting itself downward as her silhouette obstructed the light of the sun above.
"The time has come to release the swarm", Weston announced behind grit teeth. "Vespiquen, Attack Order!"
From within the hive of Vespiquen's thorax, small insectoid underlings began to trickle outward and into the air - slowly at first, and small in numbers. However, those numbers began to rapidly grow as what began as a small stream of underlings turned into droves upon droves upon droves.
Marnie couldn't see it. She could hear it - the roaring crowd surrounding her being silenced, their noises buried beneath the buzzing of tens of thousands of pairs of tiny wings swarming through the sky in formation overhead like a raging vortex.
That... can't be good...
Marcus and party's eyes all went wide as the army of insects continued to grow in numbers around their monarch in the sky, their sheer volume a veil that blotted out the light of the sun.
"T-that's-", Hop stammered in horror, "...That's gotta be the biggest Attack Order I've ever seen..."
Marcus swallowed hard. Come on, Marnie...
"Now, my legion!", Weston cried. "The invasion begins now - scour the field! Leave no Grimmsnarl standing!"
Vespiquen pointed a claw downward towards the field, reinforcing her trainer's command. With this, the massive sea of underlings descended into the shroud of dust over the field for their unsuspecting target.
Marnie heard it - the sound of Grimmsnarl growling out in pain.
"Grimmsnarl!", she cried.
As the dust began to clear, she could see that Vespiquen's swarm had descended upon him, and was now bombarding him at all angles with a fierce barrage of attacks.
Marnie cringed at the sight. "Hang in there!", she shouted.
Weston laughed loudly. "I will admit to the strength and resolve your Grimmsnarl has displayed thus far", he stated. "But the fact of the matter is that no Pokemon has ever withstood the assault of my Vespiquen's Attack Order before! I'm afraid that dear old Grimmsnarl is finished!"
Marnie grit her teeth. I've gotta get him outta' there, she thought to herself. But where could he even go? The only place that swarm isn't coverin' right now is the sky, and Grimmsnarl ain't about to sprout wings and fly...
An idea dawned on her suddenly as she'd noticed a pair of boulders jutting from the ground about an arm span apart from one another.
She smirked.
Yes... yes he is.
"Grimmsnarl, use Bulk Up!"
Even amid the near-deafening buzzing of the swarm, Grimmsnarl heard his trainer's command. He quickly tensed his muscle-like hairs, the sheer force of which was enough to shake off the attack.
"What!?", Weston exclaimed.
"Quick", Marnie pointed, "Grab hold of those rocks, tight as you can!"
Grimmsnarl wasted no time using this opening to run towards the aforementioned boulders as quickly as he could.
"Don't let him get away!", Weston shouted. "Pursue and pacify - Attack Order, now!"
From within the air, Vespiquen pointed her claw towards the fleeing Grimmsnarl, ordering the swarm to follow.
By now, Grimmsnarl had already reached the large rocks in the ground and was gripping them as tightly as he could.
"Pull back as far as ya can!", Marnie yelled.
While holding onto the boulders, Grimmsnarl began taking steps backwards, his arms stretching and elongating as he pulled himself back further and further as the swarm began to encroach.
"What is she doing?", Hop asked.
Marcus's eyes went wide. Could she really be thinking...?
The Attack Order closed in, enveloping Grimmsnarl within a storm of swift buzzing attacks. Grimmsnarl grit his teeth, twinging at the pain as he held on to the boulders for dear life.
"Just a little further...", Marnie called.
Grimmsnarl continued to endure, inching backwards further and further as it took a few more steps backwards.
"Now!", she shouted, "take to the sky!"
Grimmsnarl released all resistance in his feet, propelling him forward as he launched his body like a projectile, slingshotting himself into the sky towards Vespiquen.
"You've got to be kidding me!", Weston gasped.
"Whoa!", Marcus exclaimed, "Grimmsnarl Slingshot!"
"So cool!", Hop added.
Piers smiled. "She's got 'em on the ropes now."
"Follow through", Marnie called. "Use Darkest Lariat!"
Grimmsnarl flexed his right arm as he rocketed into the air, preparing to clothesline Vespiquen with all of his might. At the velocity he was traveling, the Attack Order was unable to keep up.
"Vespiquen, quick", Weston called out in a panicked tone, "Defend Order!"
Vespiquen raised her hands upward, signalling an order to the swarm to come to her defense. Many standby underlings broke off from the attacking group in order to head to her defense. The legion created a barrier in front of Vespiquen using their bodies, bracing for the oncoming attack.
Grimmsnarl's momentum was enough to carry it through the airborne blockade as he slammed his arm into her torso, sending her careening into the earth below. The blow to Vespiquen caused the surrounding swarm to disperse into the skyline, as they were left without instructions. Grimmsnarl collapsed onto the ground from the air, landing on his chest.
Both Pokemon struggled to pick themselves off the ground. The Defend Order came through, ensuring that Vespiquen did not take the full brunt of Grimmsnarl's Darkest Lariat. She managed to get back up, but just barely. Meanwhile, Grimmsnarl had already sustained major damage, and was only powering onward thanks to his triple-Bulk Up and his loyalty to Marnie.
Marnie's jaw clenched. Whatever move we make next might be the last, she thought to herself. Gotta make it count.
"Grimmsnarl", she shouted, "close in!"
Despite the damage he had sustained, Grimmsnarl made no hesitation in dashing forward towards Vespiquen as quickly as he could.
Weston leered. "Vespiquen, counter with Power Gem!"
Vespiquen quickly launched a glimmering beam from the jewel on her head.
The beam was on its way. Marnie had to think fast...
"Grimmsnarl, jump!"
Pressing down on the ground with his arms with all of his might, Grimmsnarl pushed himself upward and into the air, allowing him to narrowly avoid the path of the beam.
"No, you're joking!?", Weston cried in a panic.
"Bring it home, Grimmsnarl", Marnie called. "Spirit Break!"
From middair, Grimmsnarl brought both of his legs forward as he descended upon Vespiquen, planting both of his feet into her abdomen with incredible force.
Weston grit his teeth. If that's how it's going to be...
"Vespiquen, Revenge!"
One last glimmer of ambition illuminated in Vespiquen's crimson compound eyes. As she tumbled backwards from the force of Grimmsnarl's Spirit Break, she threw her thorax upwards, slamming it straight into Grimmsnarl's jaw in a powerful uppercut. Both Pokemon rolled backwards away from one another, collapsing to the ground on their backs.
"Vespiquen and Grimmsnarl are both unable to battle! This round is a draw!"
Marcus and company collectively let out an exhausted sigh. That last round had had them on the edge of their seats from start to finish without let-up.
"We're reachin' the end-game", Piers said. "This is where everythin' comes to a head."
"Yeah", Marcus replied with a smile. "And Marnie's scored herself a solid 2 to 1 lead, she's got this!"
"This is no time for Marnie to relax", Hop interjected, a serious expression on his face. "Both of her remaining Pokemon have already taken damage. And there's the matter of the arrangement for this battle - she's gotta go toe-to-toe with a Dynamax Pokemon without being able to Dynamax herself."
Marcus smiled confidently. "Lighten up, Hop", he replied. "It's just like you said when we got here; this is Marnie we're talking about."
Both trainers returned their respective Pokemon to their Pokeballs before facing one another down.
Marnie grabbed another, throwing it forward. "Morpeko, let's go!"
Morpeko returned to the field from a flash of light, her wide eager eyes and broad smile quickly disrupted by the lingering effects of the Toxic Spikes in the ground.
Marnie winced. "Hang tough, Morpeko!"
Weston gave a wry grin."Who would've thought", he began, "that it would come down to the wire like this? I really must commend you; you've battled well. You may even possess some skill..."
Marnie raised a brow in confusion and slight discomfort as Weston spoke.
"However", he continued, "are you prepared for your final test?"
As he held his final Pokeball in his hand, a stream of energy began to flow around it from the Wishing Star on his wristband. As the energy continued to flow began to glow bright red, growing three sizes in his hand.
"I wonder", he contemplated with a wide grin. "Can you really defeat my final Pokemon without Dynamaxing?"
Marnie stared forward at Weston with fierce eyes and steeled determination. "Bring it on."
Weston sneered wide. "As you wish", he answered back, now holding his enlarged Pokeball with both hands. "Orbeetle, prepare for combat!", he shouted, swinging the ball back with both hands before tossing it into the air. "Go! Gygantimax!"